Administering Globally Accessible Memory Space in a Distributed Computing System

1. A method of administering globally accessible memory space in a distributed computing system, the distributed computing system comprising a plurality of compute nodes coupled for data communications by one or more data communications networks, each compute node comprising computer memory, the method comprising: for each compute node: mapping a memory region of a predefined size beginning at a predefined address; executing one or more memory management operations within the memory region, including, for each memory management operation executed within the memory region: executing the operation collectively by all compute nodes, where the operation includes a specification of one or more parameters and the parameters are the same across all compute nodes; reallocating, by each compute node in a collective operation, a buffer; receiving, by each compute node from a deterministic memory management module in response to the memory management operation, a return value, where the return value is the same across all compute nodes, wherein receiving the return value from the deterministic memory management module further comprises receiving a local memory address of the reallocated buffer within the memory region, where the local memory address is the same address on all compute nodes; entering, by each compute node after local completion of the memory management operation, a barrier; and when all compute nodes have entered the barrier, resuming execution.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein: executing one or more memory management operations further comprises allocating, by each compute node in a collective operation, a buffer; and receiving the return value from the deterministic memory management module further comprises receiving a local memory address of the allocated buffer within the memory region, where the local memory address is the same address on all compute nodes.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising: storing, by a first compute node, data in the allocated buffer of a second compute node through use of the first compute node's local memory address.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising: retrieving, by the second compute node, data from the first compute node's allocated buffer through use of the second compute node's local memory address.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein: executing one or more memory management operations further comprises deallocating, by each compute node in a collective operation, a buffer; and receiving the return value from the deterministic memory management module further comprises receiving a result code, where the result code is the same address on all compute nodes.